Forty Years In A Day

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  			
			
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.			
			
Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed... 

The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years--a secret that puts many lives on hold.

Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear.

Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless.

Forty Years in a Day is layered with the struggles and successes of each family member and defines the character of an era. Follow the Montanaro family through several decades, and stand in the shoes of a past generation.

When I started reading this book I realized that I had read it when it came out in 2017! So, as this book archives in 3 days I am writing my review from memory! I  loved this book when I first read it as it is the perfect NY crime story. It encompasses generations of criminals, crime and regret and Vincenzo's confession to Clare is worthy of a novella on its own. It is so well written- you will find yourself staying up late to read it as you want to know what he is saying next. 

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "Social Influencer Millennials" on Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it 🚕🗽🚖🍎

In Calvano, Italy, in the early years of the twentieth century, Victoria is married to Salvatore and their children: Vincenzo, Francis, Gennaro, Catherina and Gabriella. The marriage is turbulent, and soon Victoria flees to America with the four children, where she finds refuge with her brother and his family who live in the tenements of New York City's lower East side. 

These four children lead disparate lives, they grow up, they marry, they are involved with the mob, they deal with Francis's sudden death.

Victoria marries Lorenzo. Their son, Santo, grew to develop a penchant for gambling that accelerated through his teens. Vinny, on the other hand, quits school at age 11 and slowly but surely becomes a successful businessman in partnership with his friend Tony. 

And so, we follow this family through the First World War, Depression and Prohibition, as the years flew by.

In 1991, Clare comes to New York to celebrate her father's 90th birthday. They sit, looking at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and Vinny tells his story. Clare says that Vincenzo Montanaro's "wisdom had left an imprint on my mind, and his love had left an imprint on my heart. I was both inspired and exhausted from the journey we had just taken through his life, and I imagined he was also."

A thoughtful read with a surprising ending.

I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Books Go Social pub date 03/09/17

I loved this book. The story is compelling  (especially if you love New York City) and hauntingly beautiful. I loved the premise, the characters, learning about the immigrants' plight, and what it might have been like to enter through Ellis Island and try to make a go at life in New York City so long ago.  There are gut-wrenching moments and beautiful scenes, and the story was presented with compassion and tenderness.

At times the story moves very quickly, but there are a lot of characters and a lot of ground to cover. With that kind of a story, it's a tough call to know if an author should do a longer book, or a shorter book that flows more quickly. I'm not much of a "saga" reader, and long books tend to turn me off unless I know a lot about the author or the subject matter. In this case, I was glad for a shorter book with a faster flow, and I personally felt the tempo of the story was appropriate for the story.

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. #fortyyearsinaday

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.